Approval rates
Comparing a judge's approval rate to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Knight currently holds a 41% lifetime approval rate, which differs from the 55% office average and the 58% national average. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 3,401 lifetime decisions, offering a stable view of past activity. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
Office- and national-level breakdowns of fully favorable vs denial rates aren't currently published by SSA in the per-office disposition data. The judge's own breakdown is the detail we have today.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Knight's docket. Annual rates fluctuate with the mix of cases SSA assigns; the longer-run pattern is more informative than any single year.
Decision pattern
Over a two-year tenure, Judge Knight has maintained a consistent approach to case evaluation. The data shows an approval rate of 41% across the reporting periods, indicating a steady decision-making pattern. While your case will vary based on medical evidence and vocational factors, this consistency provides a reliable baseline for what to expect. This trend reflects a stable approach to the evidentiary requirements of Social Security Disability Insurance claims.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Knight's bench. Judge-specific preparation guidance requires a corpus of public Appeals Council decisions involving each judge, which we haven't built yet.
- Bring a clean treating-physician record. Longitudinal primary-care or specialist notes spanning the disability period, with consistent symptom documentation, are typically the strongest evidence at hearing. A single month's records usually aren't enough.
- Don't rely on consultative exams alone. If your medical evidence is built primarily around a one-time CE finding, expect detailed questioning. Supplement with treating-source statements where possible.
- Prepare for daily-activity questions. Have honest, specific answers about a typical day. Answers that conflict with the medical record (in either direction) tend to hurt credibility.
- Expect transferable-skills probing. A vocational expert will usually testify about jobs available to someone with your limitations. Your representative should be prepared to cross-examine.
Hearing with Judge Knight? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Phoenix North hearing office
The Phoenix North Hearing Office serves a large population of claimants across Arizona, managing a high volume of disability hearings. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an overall latest approval rate of 55%. You can expect a professional environment focused on the rigorous evaluation of medical and vocational evidence. You can see the Phoenix North Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Phoenix North Hearing Office utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your judge is selected randomly. The bench here is diverse, with lifetime approval rates ranging from 28% to 60% across the office's 6 judges. Because of this variance, it is important to focus on the strength of your own medical documentation. You can find more information on the Phoenix North hearing office page.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
SSDI hearing approval rates — represented vs. on your own
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.